UPDATE (January 24, 2023):
A Winter Storm Warning is in place for much of Indiana for tomorrow.
The National Weather Service says between 5 and 8 inches of snow is expected.
The storm warning is in place from 4 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Driving could be hazardous. See some tips from AAA below to stay safe.
See the full forecast here
The following was issued by the National Weather Service:
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
344 AM EST Tue Jan 24 2023
INZ007>009-017-018-022>027-032>034-MIZ081-OHZ001-002-004-005-015-
016-024-025-241645-
/O.UPG.KIWX.WS.A.0001.230125T0900Z-230126T0100Z/
/O.NEW.KIWX.WS.W.0001.230125T0900Z-230126T0100Z/
Steuben-Noble-De Kalb-Whitley-Allen IN-Cass IN-Miami-Wabash-
Huntington-Wells-Adams-Grant-Blackford-Jay-Hillsdale-Williams-
Fulton OH-Defiance-Henry-Paulding-Putnam-Van Wert-Allen OH-
Including the cities of Angola, Fremont, Kendallville, Ligonier,
Albion, Auburn, Garrett, Columbia City, Tri-Lakes, South Whitley,
Fort Wayne, New Haven, Logansport, Royal Center, Peru,
Grissom AFB, Mexico, Wabash, North Manchester, Huntington,
Roanoke, Bluffton, Ossian, Decatur, Berne, Marion, Gas City,
Upland, Hartford City, Montpelier, Portland, Dunkirk, Hillsdale,
Jonesville, Litchfield, Bryan, Edgerton, Wauseon, Archbold,
Swanton, Delta, Defiance, Sherwood, Hicksville, Napoleon,
Deshler, Liberty Center, Paulding, Antwerp, Payne, Ottawa,
Leipsic, Columbus Grove, Continental, Pandora, Van Wert,
Ohio City, Lima, and Spencerville
344 AM EST Tue Jan 24 2023
…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 8 PM EST
WEDNESDAY…
* WHAT…Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 8
inches.
* WHERE…Portions of northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and
northwest Ohio.
* WHEN…From 4 AM to 8 PM EST Wednesday.
* IMPACTS…Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous
conditions will likely impact the morning and evening commutes.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS..Snow will spread rapidly north early
Wednesday with rapid accumulations before noon. The heaviest
snow should end by late afternoon, although some blowing and
drifting snow in open areas is likely to persist into the
evening.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.
ORIGINAL STORY (January 23, 2023):
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Travel for Monday morning will still be tricky following Sunday’s snowfall.
Light snow will still be lingering over portions of the area early. The snow is accompanied by patchy freezing drizzle and is causing slippery conditions on untreated surfaces and secondary roads.
If you are outside this morning or traveling, watch out for icy spots and slippery roads. Allow extra time to reach your destination. Forecasters say that conditions should improve by late morning.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is shaping up to be a quiet day with cloudy skies and temperatures in the middle 30s.
Looking ahead to the next blast of winter weather, the National Weather Service says we could see it arrive late Tuesday into Wednesday. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued from Wednesday at 4 a.m. through 8 p.m. for Allen and surrounding counties.
In total, the NWS says we could see another 5 to 9 inches during the system.
The following was issued:
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
348 AM EST Mon Jan 23 2023INZ005>009-013>015-017-018-020-022>027-032>034-116-216-MIZ080-081-
OHZ001-002-004-005-015-016-024-025-231700-
/O.NEW.KIWX.WS.A.0001.230125T0900Z-230126T0100Z/
Elkhart-Lagrange-Steuben-Noble-De Kalb-Pulaski-Marshall-Fulton IN-
Whitley-Allen IN-White-Cass IN-Miami-Wabash-Huntington-Wells-
Adams-Grant-Blackford-Jay-Northern Kosciusko-Southern Kosciusko-
Branch-Hillsdale-Williams-Fulton OH-Defiance-Henry-Paulding-
Putnam-Van Wert-Allen OH-
Including the cities of Elkhart, Goshen, Nappanee, Lagrange,
Topeka, Shipshewana, Angola, Fremont, Kendallville, Ligonier,
Albion, Auburn, Garrett, Winamac, Francesville, Medaryville,
Plymouth, Bremen, Culver, Rochester, Akron, Columbia City,
Tri-Lakes, South Whitley, Fort Wayne, New Haven, Monticello,
Monon, Brookston, Logansport, Royal Center, Peru, Grissom AFB,
Mexico, Wabash, North Manchester, Huntington, Roanoke, Bluffton,
Ossian, Decatur, Berne, Marion, Gas City, Upland, Hartford City,
Montpelier, Portland, Dunkirk, Syracuse, Milford, North Webster,
Leesburg, Warsaw, Winona Lake, Silver Lake, Mentone, Coldwater,
Bronson, Hillsdale, Jonesville, Litchfield, Bryan, Edgerton,
Wauseon, Archbold, Swanton, Delta, Defiance, Sherwood,
Hicksville, Napoleon, Deshler, Liberty Center, Paulding, Antwerp,
Payne, Ottawa, Leipsic, Columbus Grove, Continental, Pandora,
Van Wert, Ohio City, Lima, and Spencerville
348 AM EST Mon Jan 23 2023…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING…* WHAT…Heavy snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches possible.
* WHERE…Portions of northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and
northwest Ohio.* WHEN…From late Tuesday night through Wednesday evening.
* IMPACTS…Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous
conditions will likely impact the morning and evening commutes.* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Snow will overspread the area early
Wednesday morning and likely be accompanied by areas of blowing
and drifting snow by afternoon causing reduced visibilities.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. Plan
ahead if you are expecting to travel during the middle of this
week.
See the full forecast here
Area schools will likely be impacted by the weather. Check with your local district for updates.
If you do have to be out on the roads during a winter weather event, keep these tips from AAA in mind for driving in winter conditions:
-Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
-Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
-The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
-Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
-Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
-Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.
-Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
-Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate: If you don’t have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.